The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the decision a day after hearing arguments in a lawsuit from the news groups seeking to change Idaho's protocol, saying it's unconstitutionally restrictive.

BOISE, Idaho — A federal appeals court ruled Friday that witnesses should have full viewing access to Idaho's upcoming execution, siding with The Associated Press and 16 other news organizations.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the decision a day after hearing arguments in a lawsuit from the news groups seeking to change Idaho's protocol, saying it's unconstitutionally restrictive.

The case aims to strike down a portion of Idaho's regulations that prevent witnesses — including reporters acting as representatives of the public — from watching executions until after catheters have been inserted into the veins of death row inmates.

The lawsuit comes as lethal injections have drawn greater scrutiny, from whether the drugs are effective to whether the execution personnel are properly trained.

It's unclear how the ruling will affect the scheduled execution next week of Idaho death row inmate Richard Leavitt, who will be put to death by lethal injection. Leavitt was convicted of the 1984 murder of a Blackfoot woman.

"We, of course, respect the court's decision. We will take the necessary measures to assure that the execution continues as scheduled," said Idaho Department of Correction spokesman Jeff Ray.

A federal judge Tuesday denied a request from the news groups seeking to prevent Leavitt's execution without the changes. The news organizations appealed that ruling to the 9th Circuit.

The appellate judges, during arguments Thursday, noted that the 9th Circuit had already ruled in a 2002 California case that every aspect of an execution should be open to witnesses, from the moment the condemned enters the death chamber to the final heartbeat.

The decade-old decision established what was expected of the nine Western states within the court's jurisdiction. A decade later, four of the states have kept part of each execution away from public view, according to death penalty experts.

"Nearly a decade ago, we held in the clearest possible terms that 'the public enjoys a First Amendment right to view executions from the moment the condemned is escorted into the execution chamber," the judges said in their ruling Friday. "The State of Idaho has had ample opportunity for the past decade to adopt an execution procedure that reflects this settled law."

Idaho, Arizona, Washington and Montana have conducted 14 lethal injections since the 9th Circuit ruling in 2002, and half of each procedure has been behind closed doors.

Chuck Brown, an attorney for the news organizations, predicted that the 9th Circuit ruling over Idaho's execution process will prompt those remaining states to change their policies to allow for a full viewing of the execution process.

"That's exactly what will happen," said Brown, who added that the ruling clears up any uncertainty about the intent of the 9th Circuit's 2002 decision. "It clears up any doubt."

While U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge took issue with the timing of the May 24 request from the news groups, saying it was too close to Leavitt's execution, the 9th Circuit disagreed, saying the state was at fault. The appellate judges noted that media representatives had asked prison officials to alter the execution procedure before November 2011 execution of Paul Rhoades.

The news organizations filed their case after talks were unsuccessful with prison officials, who took the position that the 2002 ruling was based on facts unique to California, Brown said, citing letters from Idaho correction director Brent Reinke.

"We fault the State, not the media plaintiffs, for our need to consider this question several days before an execution: the State has missed opportunity after opportunity to bring its execution procedures into compliance with the clear law of this Circuit," the ruling also said.

During arguments on Thursday, Judge Marsha Berzon questioned why Idaho should be an exception when other states have decided that entire executions can be seen by the public.

"California has been doing it. Ohio has been doing it. Arizona just announced they are going to do it," Berzon said. "You haven't put anything in the record that Idaho is different in this regard. That you haven't done."

Seniors at an upstate New York high school were suspended after they covered the hallways of their school with Post-It notes overnight.

Seattle Mariners closer Tom Wilhelmsen throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, June 8, 2012, in Seattle. The Mariners won 1-0 in a six-pitcher combined no-hitter. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

• Mariners 6-pack combines for no-hitter vs. Dodgers [AP]
• Report: China plans manned space launch this month, crew might include female astronaut [Washington Post via AP]
• Syria conflict: 'Deadly shelling' hits Deraa [BBC News]
• RCS seniors suspended over Post-It prank [Albany (N.Y.) Times Union]
• Amherst to review dog leash law [Daily Hampshire Gazette]
• Brothers in bloody sibling attack could testify against each other [Berkshire Eagle]
• Romney camp aims to win over Hispanics [Boston Globe]
• Twitter posts tagged #westernma in Western Mass. [MassLive.com]


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Patrick and the Obama for America volunteers will gather on Boylston street between Dartmouth and Clarendon streets at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The 42nd annual Boston Pride Parade is scheduled to kick off at noon.

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, waves during a campaign fundraising event in Boston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick will be leading a group of volunteer supporters for President Obama at a gay pride parade in Boston.

Democratic Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren also plans on joining the parade.

Patrick and the Obama for America volunteers will gather on Boylston street between Dartmouth and Clarendon streets at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The 42nd annual Boston Pride Parade is scheduled to kick off at noon.

Patrick is a national co-chair of Obama's re-election campaign.

Gay activists have a lot to celebrate.

Obama last month became the first president to declare his support for gay marriage.

Then the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act's denial of federal benefits to same-sex couples is unconstitutional.

That case appears headed to the Supreme Court.

The closing was announced in 2008 as part of a cost-cutting move and a push by the state to relocate developmentally disabled residents into community-based group homes, intended to mirror home environments more closely.

MONSON – Operating since 1854, the Monson Developmental Center at one time housed as many as 1,700 of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

Now, with just 31 residents remaining, the sprawling center faces shutdown on June 30, leaving an uncertain future for its 76 buildings and 688 acres.

The closing was announced in December 2008 as part of a cost-cutting move and a push by the state to relocate developmentally disabled residents into community-based group homes, intended to mirror home environments more closely. At that time, there were 137 severely disabled residents living there, and 403 employees.

Now, there are 216 full-time employees, and 31 residents remaining who will transition to the new or existing state-operated homes. The center reached a residency peak of 1,700 people in 1968.

“It’s the end of an era,” state Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, said.

“There are mixed emotions,” facilities director David Serra said on a recent weekday. “It’s been four years in coming. There was an expectation that this day would come.”

Serra is one of the employees who will retire at the end of this month . He has worked at Monson Developmental for 34 years.

Operations have been winding down since the announcement that the center would close, and selectmen and town officials have expressed concern about what will happen to the property. Comparable to the old Belchertown State School, Monson Developmental Center functions like its own small city, complete with a power plant and water tower. Years after its closure, much of the Belchertown school land sits unused.

Of Monson’s 76 buildings, only eight are being used for offices and 11 are being used for maintenance, power generation and support facilities, according to information from the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

There is no funding in the fiscal 2013 budget for the facility, and the closure is forecast to save the state $40 million to $42 million over a four-year period. The majority of the old, brick buildings on the campus are boarded up.

From the town’s perspective, the state is leaving many loose ends.

“We’re concerned about security up there, keeping it secure. It’s going to create extra work for the Police Department,” Selectmen chairman Richard Smith said.

Selectman Edward S. Harrison is worried about security also. The center’s sprinkler system will likely be turned off, and he is concerned about fires, Harrison said.

“Even if it’s boarded up, kids have a way of getting into those places,” Harrison said. “It’s a potential ecological disaster. The buildings are filled with asbestos and lead paint. We’ve been waiting for the state to come up with a master plan, and our understanding is, there is no master plan. We’ve been kind of sitting on our hands waiting for this master plan.”

Town Administrator Gretchen E. Neggers was hopeful that she would be able to work more proactively with the state early on to identify potential reuses, but it wasn’t until recently that the state Division of Capital Asset Management reached out. The town, she said, is in no position to take over the property.

“Our immediate concern is how the facility is going to be left and how we are able to provide the necessary security,” Neggers said. “I had been hopeful we could have been working together a lot more closely. It’s a big facility and an old facility and a lot of it hasn’t been maintained for many, many years.”

“Doctor’s row,” a series of dilapidated buildings across from the main campus, closed in the 1980s and has been targeted by vandals over the years, despite no-trespassing signs.

Approximately 200 acres of the property is conservation land, Neggers said. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

Neggers said the state has suggested the town reactivate its reuse committee. Commissioner Carole Cornelison, of the capital asset management division, said her agency is looking forward to working with the committee, as authorized by legislation filed by Brewer, to discuss plans for the most viable reuse of the site. The process should include community planning meetings, according to Cornelison.

In the months following Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s announcement that Monson Developmental Center would close, town officials met and received some suggestions from residents about future uses. Suggestions included a satellite campus for the Soldiers’ Home of Holyoke, construction of low-cost housing, a community college, a regional public safety station, a teen center, solar farm or mall, but nothing has materialized.

Neggers points to Belchertown State, which been largely vacant since its closure in 1992 despite efforts to redevelop it, in voicing concerns that the same fate could befall Monson.

The latest proposal for 65-acre Belchertown State is from Pennsylvania-based Weston Solutions, which wants to bring in a developer to create an assisted-living complex featuring 170 units. Belchertown Town Meeting recently approved a $1.25 million bond to build a new roadway into the property, but the road would be built only if Weston spends $2 million of its own money to clean up environmental hazards on an 11-acre section of the property for the project.

The former Northampton State Hospital site has been a success story in comparison, with the Village Hill housing development and relocation of Kollmorgen Electro-Optical to the south campus. In April, there was a groundbreaking for 24 new homes being built by Pecoy Homes at Village Hill. About half of the approximately 300 housing units targeted for the site already have been built.

The state has three other developmental centers included in the closing announcement: Fernald Developmental Center in Waltham, Glavin Regional Center in Shewsbury and Templeton Developmental Center in Baldwinville. All 14 residents at Fernald remain there because they have appealed their transfers. Those appeals are pending in the courts, according to state Executive Office of Health and Human Services spokeswoman, Paulette Song.

Meanwhile, Brewer says he’s been working to make sure part of the Monson campus stays open to house the volunteers who have been helping with cleanup from the June 1, 2011, tornado. Those volunteers have been staying at the Wayside building.

In addition to Wayside, according to Song, Daly Hall and the Parents’ and Friends’ program building will be used to house volunteer groups for varying lengths of stay.

The First Congregational Church of Monson also uses two buildings for storage of donated items, including furniture and dry goods, for families who lost homes to the tornado. The church will need the storage space at least through this summer.

The laundry facility has been used by tornado victims who lost their homes as well, and will remain open on a limited basis until Aug. 30, Song said.

Brewer says Monson Developmental’s closing has been a “gradual evolution over the last four years.”

Two state-run institutions are remaining open: Wrentham Developmental Center in Wrentham and the Charles Hogan Developmental Center in Danvers. Families have the option of moving their relative to one of those institutions or a group home, or vendor-operated home, in the community.

Six state-operated group homes have opened in the region to accommodate some of the residents, one in North Brookfield, two in Ware and three in Monson. There are 27 people living in them.

Four, five-person homes are expected to be completed this summer, one in Palmer, one in Monson and two in Belchertown.

Pine Ridge, which is across the street from the main Monson Developmental Center campus and was originally the facility superintendent’s house, will remain open; eight people live there in a co-ed program, although one resident will soon be leaving to another placement.

Altogether, the group residences will accommodate 27 people and employ 100.

Brewer believes the town is concerned “with good reason.”

“I’ve said time and time again that the state has a lousy track record of providing productive use of these facilities,” Brewer said. The closure will affect the entire region as the center has been a major employer for both Monson and Palmer, he said.

The remaining residents range in age from 45 to 80.

Kris Bacon, director of residential services, said they are trying to “keep things as constant as possible throughout all the change.”

On a recent a tour of the Simons building, which still being used for 27 residents on the main campus, she pointed out the efforts to make it like home. The residents, if they were able to communicate, were able to pick out the colors for their rooms. One had her favorite toys inside her room – a baby carriage with a stuffed monkey in it, and plenty of wind-up toys. Officials explained that the woman has the developmental age of a 2-year-old.

The Brookside, Quaboag and Simons buildings will continue to have state Department of Developmental Services and Health and Human Services staff until Oct. 1, Song said. Brookside and Quaboag are used as office space. Simons houses a dental clinic, which will be relocated by that date, she said.

Frances “Dustie” Gauthier’s daughter, Donna, who is 52, now lives at a community-based group home in Monson.

Gauthier, of East Longmeadow, said at first she opposed the move to the group home. “I was worried, concerned, not only for my child, but everyone,” she said.

She didn’t want her daughter to leave the place she had called home for decades.

Her daughter has “high needs” and had lived at Monson Developmental since she was 9. She experienced as many as 25 seizures a day as a baby and wasn’t expected to live beyond age 3. Donna is mentally disabled, epileptic and cannot talk.

The original move to Monson was even more difficult. “It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life,” Gauthier said. “It truly was. It was painful.”

She said Donna was placed there on the advice of her doctor. Gauthier had suffered a collapse and worried that she would have two daughters without a mother.

“We did what we had to do. She’s been there ever since,” said Gauthier, who volunteers at the facility and is vice president of the parents and friends group that she helped found.

She said her daughter seems to be responding well to her new surroundings. Gauthier is pleased with the change.

“We were just so worried, that she wouldn’t be happy, that she couldn’t get the care. But the medical care seems to be working out well,” Gauthier said. “So far, so good. We hope it continues to be this way.”

Mark Barowsky, who was elected last month, has stated publicly that he is not seeking the three-year seat.

Incumbent Longmeadow selectman Paul Santaniello, left, faces no challenge in his bid for reelection Tuesday. Mark Barowski, center, was elected just last month. But because of a timing issue, his name will appear on Tuesday's ballot. Richard Foster, right, also seeks a spot on the board.

LONGMEADOW – There is only one race during the annual town election this Tuesday, but the competition comes from a Select Board member who was recently elected.

Paul Santaniello, Mark Barowsky and Richard Foster are running for two three-year seats on the Select Board, even though Barowsky was recently elected during a special Town Election to fill a vacated seat.

Foster is running for a three-year seat against Barowsky whose name had to be on the ballot because it was too late to remove it, said Town Clerk Katherine Ingram.

Barowsky and Foster both ran for a one-year seat on the board vacated by Christine Swanson in December of 2011. Barowsky was elected in May. He has stated publicly that he is not seeking the three-year seat.

Santaniello is an incumbent running for the other three- year seat on the Select Board. He is a 25 year resident of Longmeadow and has been on the board for six years.

Some voters may be confused when they see the ballot in Tuesday.

Ingram said the ballots were ordered before the special election and cannot be changed.

If he is voted for again on Tuesday Barowsky would have to resign from one seat and another special election would have to be held. Barowsky said he will stand outside the polls on Tuesday to clear up any confusion.

"I would like to thank everyone for casting their votes on May 15 and
electing me to serve the one year term on the Select Board," Barowsky said. " I intend to serve out this term to its conclusion in June 2013. Please cast your
ballots in this upcoming election accordingly."

There are several School Committee seats open, but none are contested.

Incumbents James Desrochers and Kathryn Girard will run for two three -year seats on the School Committee. Elizabeth Bone will run unopposed for a two-year seat on the School Committee and Gerard Kiernan will run unopposed for a one-year seat on the committee.

Bone and Kiernan will fill the seats vacated by Laurie Flynn, who was elected to the School Committee in June 2011 and has chosen not to run again and Owen Humphries, who was appointed to a vacated seat in October 2011.

Bone is a long-time resident and was involved with creating a recycling program for Center School.

“I am running for the School Committee to maintain the quality of schools in Longmeadow for my children and for all of our children. We have a valuable school system that needs our support and public affirmation,” she said.

Kiernan ran for the appointed seat in the fall of 2011 and stated he would like to sit on the board because he has an interest in the schools and loves children.

Michael Kallock is running unopposed for a three-year Town Moderator seat while Bernard Cohen is running unopposed for a five-year Housing Authority seat and Bruce Colton is running unopposed for a five-year seat on the Planning Board.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Community House.

Judge Daniel Ford admitted all five clips of a video taken by police two days after the accident in an attempt to recreate the conditions.

Augustus Adamopoulos

NORTHAMPTON - As his father tried frantically to revive him on the shore of Lake Norwich, a badly injured Augustus Adamopoulos told him, "Let me die," a prosecutor said Friday.

Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Matthew Thomas' description of the aftermath of the fatal crash that took the life of the 10-year-old boy was among the evidence a jury will not hear when the trial of Steven B. Morse begins on Monday.

Morse, 37, of Westfield, is accused of running the motorboat he was driving over the kayak Adamopoulos and his father, James Adamopoulos, were paddling on the Huntington lake on the evening on Aug. 17, 2010.

Morse is charged with manslaughter, boat homicide by reckless operation while under the influence of alcohol and boat homicide by reckless operation, as well as three counts of child endangerment while under the influence.

Northampton Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Ford heard a number of motions from both sides Friday in preparation for the trial. In the course of the proceeding, lawyuers described a scene of horror and chaos in which Morse pulled the injured Adamopoulos into his boat and took him to shore. As he looked on from his boat, James Adamopoulos shouted at him, saying "What's wrong with you? Are you drunk?" according to Thomas.

Thomas said he would not offer Adamopoulos' dying utterance during the trial, however, acknowledging the emotional impact it would have on the jury. Defense lawyer Micheal O. Jennings is also seeking to strike the echange between James Adamopoulos and Morse, saying his client's silence wasi not an acknowledgment of guilt.

Although the prosecution maintains that Morse was impaired from a combination of alcohol and marijuana when the impact occurred, Jennings noted that police who examined his client at the scene did not find him to be intoxicated and that a breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol was below the legal limit.

Ford admitted all five clips of a video taken by police two days after the accident in an attempt to recreate the conditions. The video shows that the sun's glare on the water limited visibility at that time of day. The jury is expected to visit the scene on Tuesday and also examined the kayak and motor boat involved in the crash. Thomas said the Environmental Police will put a buoy in the weater at the placxe where they recovered Adamopoulos' arm.

Known to friends and family as "Gus," Adamopoulos was popular athlete in his home town of Ludlow. He loved fishing and hoped to have a career in professional golf or basketball.

The council president wants nearly $1.6 million in delinquent bills hunted down and other options exhausted before a rate increase.

File photo | The Republican

HOLYOKE — Customers might be asked to pay more to address a projected deficit in the sewer fund.

Rate increases have been discussed in recent years. The difference now is that avoiding an increase probably would require consuming the account’s remaining surplus, eliminating a cushion and merely delaying the increase for a year or two because expenses are outpacing revenues, officials said recently.

“We’re not putting any more cash in the bank. You can’t go to the well too many more times before the cash is gone,” said William D. Fuqua, general superintendent of the Department of Public Works.

Issues around a sewer rate increase include talk of merging the water and sewer departments, demands to hunt down delinquent sewer bills and calls to cut costs before increasing customers’ rates.

The City Council determines the sewer rate. Mayor Alex B. Morse and City Auditor Brian G. Smith have urged the council to consider an increase, in preparations related to the proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

“I would also encourage (councilors) to think creatively about the sewer rate – perhaps having a higher rate for the highest users, and having a lower rate for seniors and others on fixed incomes,” Morse said.

Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said other options should be exhausted before seeking more from customers.

“It isn’t going to be ‘tax more and ask questions later,’” Jourdain said. “I’m going to do everything in my power, and rate increase is the last resort.”

The average household pays $490 a year for sewer use. That’s based on a rate of $5.40 per 1,000 gallons of usage at 90,000 gallons used, Fuqua said.

Under a proposed rate increase discussed a year ago, the average household sewer bill would rise to $576 – an increase of 86 above the current average – on a rate of $6.40.

Without a rate increase, all of the $900,000 expected to be available when the fiscal year ends June 30 would be needed to balance the budget, officials said.

“Looking ahead to fiscal year 2014, an operating deficit of almost $1.2 million is projected,” Morse said.

The sewer fund approved for the current fiscal year was $8.55 million. The city pays most of that, $6.4 million, to the private United Water to run the wastewater treatment plant on Berskshire Street, Fuqua said.

Most of the remainder of the sewer budget, more than $1.7 million, pays off debt that funded plant upgrades, he said.

Jourdain said he disputed Fuqua’s assertion that there’s little to cut in the sewer fund.

The city has 10,900 residential and commercial sewer customers.

Morse encouraged the council to work with the Water Commission, which the council appoints, to explore combining the water and sewer departments. Officials have said such a merger could help in recouping delinquent money.

Nearly $1.6 million is owed the city in delinquent sewer bills, Smith said.

The power to shut off sewer service to customers who fail to pay bills is the leverage the city needs to seize such overdue money, officials said.

But under state law, the city is unable to shut off sewer service despite a long-overdue bill. That means customers can let those bills lag and know they will keep getting sewer service, officials said.

The goal of a merger would be a single bill for water and sewers users – and shut-off power, officials said.

Obituaries from The Republican.

Carlo Rovelli

Carlo Santo Rovelli, 67, of West Springfield, died Thursday. He was born in Springfield. After graduating from American International College with a degree in business, he entered the swimming pool business, Cannon Manufacturing, and purchased the Watershops Armory at 1 Allen St. in Springfield with his business partner, Henry DeLeo, in the mid-1970s. He went on to lead Mainline Industries and the realty companies that managed his properties. He was an avid golfer at the Springfield Country Club. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees and as chairman on various committees, Rovelli served as president of the club in 1998 and 1999.

Obituaries from The Republican:

• 
  Brown, Gertrude L. (Archambault)
  



• 
  Canegallo, Emily B. "Millie" (Sternowski)
  



• 
  Couture, Loretta E. (King)
  



• 
  Frighetto, Edward
  



• 
  Goudreau, Claire A.
  



• 
  Horanzy, Walter J.
  



• 
  Johnson, Raymond
  



• 
  McKnight, Marian A. (Jacques)
  



• 
  Metcalf III, John E. "Jay"
  



• 
  Oney, Virginia R. (Kopeski)
  



• 
  Perkins, Roberta June "Bobbie"
  



• 
  Plant, Mary "Mollie" (Anziano)
  



• 
  Quail, Gertrude A. "Trudy" (Fitch)
  



• 
  Rheaume, Paul M.
  



• 
  Rogers, Joseph W.
  



• 
  Rovelli, Carlo S.
  



• 
  Saunders, Eugene L.
  



• 
  Seiffert, Henry C. "Hank"
  



• 
  Siegel, Hy
  



• 
  Steinberg, Harry
  



• 
  Vogt, Virginia
  

This is the 1st program with the display of Classical High School artifacts in the new display cases.

A photo of Springfield High School from about the year 1900. The school later became Classical High School and is now Classical Condominiums.

SPRINGFIELD — Historic Classical will feature "The Birth of Classical," a presentation by historian Frances M. Gagnon at Classical Condominiums at 235 State St. Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

The museum area, which preserves the treasures of the past, will be open from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The display in new cases includes artifacts and memorabilia of Classical High School, which opened in 1897 and closed in 1986.

The program is open to the public. Parking is available in the adjacent Museums lot, and refreshments will be provided. A donation is suggested.

This is the first program with the display of Classical High School artifacts in the new display cases. The memorabilia have been donated by alumni. The display cases were donated by the Springfield Museums.

Gagnon will focus on the need for this high school in Springfield at the end of the 19th century, the exemplary educational facility and programs, and its role in the greater Springfield area. She will also highlight the many graduates who attained national and world renown.

A few of these graduates include Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel), William Manchester, U.S. Rep. Edward Boland, Mayor and U.S. Judge Frank Freedman and journalist Gwen Ifell.

Gagnon is a freelance historical writer, including special articles in The Republican. She is a narrator, consultant and scriptwriter for WGBY-TV, Channel 57, in numerous productions featuring local history and lore.

Historic Classical, Inc., a non-profit organization, was established to preserve the legacy of Classical High School through the display of artifacts and memorabilia.

Voters also will be asked to approve a debt exclusion for a new $7.4 million police station.

Karl S. Williams

PALMER – Tuesday’s election will feature a three-way race for an at-large Town Council position, a battle between two write-in candidates for the district 3 councilor post, and a question asking voters to approve a $7.4 million debt exclusion for a new police station.

Competing for the at-large position, which is for three years, are incumbent Karl S. Williams, of 1462 Main St.; Jason R. Polonsky of 3024 High St., Bondsville; and Michael J. Lees, of 3161 Main St., Bondsville.

Williams, 51, owner of the Day & Night diner downtown, was appointed in 2009 to the council to fill a vacancy, and elected to the position later that year.

“I love the challenges that it brings,” Williams said about serving on the Town Council.

He said he wants to organize clean-up crews throughout town, utilizing people who need to complete community service, and also wants to organize music benefits at Depot Park to raise money for recreation programs.

Williams said he supports the proposal for a new police station, and also supports a casino coming to Palmer.

He described himself as “pro-business” and would like to see more businesses relocate to town, as jobs are needed. Through his work, Williams said he constantly hears from people about their issues in town.

“This is the heartbeat of the town . . . I hear a thousand times more than (any other councilor), good and bad,” Williams said.

Polonsky, 31, a marketing specialist for MassMutual Financial Group, said he’s been attending council meetings on and off for the past five years.

Jason Polonsky

“I enjoy going and I think the council has an opportunity to develop the town . . . I think Palmer’s a great town,” Polonsky said.

Polonsky said it is an “exciting time” for Palmer, noting Mohegan Sun’s proposal to open a casino off Thorndike Street (Route 32). Polonsky said he has not made up his mind whether he is for it or against it, but said he is “pro-information.”

“The responsibility of the council should be to present both sides of it, so voters can be educated on the pro and the con,” Polonsky said. “It’s not going to come down to the vote of the council. It will come down to the residents.”

Regarding the police station project, Polonsky said he does not think the current police station is up to par, and supports a new station.

If elected, Polonsky said he wants to focus on community involvement and engagement, and host informal gatherings with residents so he can find out what issues concern them.

“As an at-large councilor you’re given a special opportunity to vote on behalf of the entire town . . . I want my vote to truly represent the people of Palmer and not represent my opinion,” Polonsky said.

Polonsky created a Facebook page about his candidacy as a way for residents to contact him with concerns.

Lees could not be reached for comment.

Former councilor Matthew J. Lovell, of 1051 Park St., and District 3 Councilor Blake E. Lamothe, of 1088 Thorndike St., are each waging a write-in campaign for the district 3 position, which also has a three-year term. Lamothe blamed miscommunication with the town clerk's office on the reason why he did not obtain enough signatures to get his name on the ballot.

Matthew J. Lovell

Lovell, 41, served on the first Town Council in 2005 and resigned in 2008 due to work commitments as a result of the economic downturn. Lovell said he is ready to serve again. His workload as a review examiner for the state Division of Unemployment Assistance has subsided, and he said he saw an opportunity as nobody was on the ballot for his district.

"I figured I'd give it a shot again," Lovell said. "This is my small effort to give the community an option."

Lovell supports a new Police Department, noting he also supported the proposals that failed in 2001 and 2002. He said it's important to have a police station and the resources to keep the citizens safe. Lovell said he also supports a casino, given the revenue and jobs it would bring to town.

"I would want it in Palmer, so we could see a benefit from it," Lovell said.

Lovell, who also served as Town Council President, noted that being a councilor is "a lot of work" and a "big commitment," but that he enjoyed his time serving, and plans to work for the best interest of the town. Lovell added that he is not interested in creating any new ordinances unless there is a groundswell from the public for the change.

"You've got to have support from the community," Lovell said.

Lamothe, 49, said he is not worried about competition, and said his track record speaks for itself. Lamothe also serves as the Palmer Redevelopment Authority chairman, although the board has been inactive. Lamothe, elected to the council last year, called himself "a visionary for the town."

Blake Lamothe

A casino supporter, Lamothe said he wants to make sure the town gets the best deal possible. Lamothe said he in favor of a new police station, but questions why the proposal calls for a 22,000-square-foot facility. He said 10,000-square-feet makes more sense, and that more than one proposal should have been brought before the council. He would not say how he will vote regarding the police station proposal.

Lamothe also said if Mohegan Sun is successful in its bid to open a casino here, that could change the police needs and could necessitate satellite police locations. Lamothe said he wants to know the cost of running a new police facility.

He is a supporter of returning passenger rail service to Palmer, and would like to see a water park where the public works facility on Bridge Street now sits. He supports a new public works facility, and moving it out of downtown.

"I want to create more of a festive atmosphere in downtown with a water park," Lamothe said.

Lamothe is co-owner of the Steaming Tender restaurant at the former railroad station; he also has several other businesses in town. Lamothe said he thinks the council should be working more closely with the Community Development and Planning Board departments.

Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Precincts 1 and 4 vote at the parish hall at Divine Mercy Church in Three Rivers and precincts 2 and 3 vote at Converse Middle School on Converse Street.

Children who don’t read at the expected level by the end of third grade will struggle in school – and, most likely, in the work force and in life.

SPRINGFIELD – When it comes to reading, third grade is a crucial year for children.

Children who don’t read at the expected level by the end of third grade will struggle in school – and, most likely, in the work force and in life.

Now a project in Springfield has been recognized by the National Civic League for its efforts to overcome the problem. “Reading Success by 4th Grade: Blueprint for Springfield” is one of 32 finalists for the All-America City Award.

The “Reading Success” project can be traced back 2009, when MCAS results showed that two-thirds of third-graders in Springfield did not have the reading proficiency to pass the test.

John Davis, trustee of the Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, was troubled by that figure and what it meant for the future.

So, with Sally Fuller as project director, the Davis Foundation brought together the Springfield Schools, Pioneer Valley United Way, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, the city of Springfield and many others who care about the city.

Fuller and her team started a public awareness campaign, consulted experts, created an Early Literacy Advisory Committee, and in 2010 came out with their “Blueprint for Springfield,” which can be read in its entirety at www.cherishspringfield.org.

The document probed every corner of how children develop as readers, including time outside the school. “Parents should be reading to their children, talking to them, telling them stories from the time they are born,” said Fuller.

Her goal: “We want to have 80 percent of Springfield third-graders reading proficiently by 2016,” said Fuller.

“Reading is a basic tool for success,” she said.

The Springfield project was one of the earliest to focus on the pivotal importance of third-grade reading, said Fuller.

Since then, the concept has become a national campaign and is the theme of the 2012 All-America City Award. About 124 city-wide programs all over the country applied for the award this year.

The 32 finalists will meet at Civic League headquarters in Denver on July 2 for the results of the competition.

Do the winners get a prize? Fuller laughs. “What this really gives us,” she says, “is more momentum, more awareness, more collaborative opportunities and more access to a national network of communities doing this work.”

And, if their efforts come to fruition, a generation of Springfield children with a fighting chance in life.

If approved, Saturday’s referendum in Taunton – while nonbinding – would mark the first time local residents have expressed support for a casino project at the ballot box since Gov. Deval Patrick signed the state’s new gambling law last year.

AP file photoIn this August 1999 file photo, poker is played at Station Casino in Kansas City, Mo. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts is hoping a nonbinding referendum vote Saturday will support their efforts to building a casino resort in Taunton. (AP Photo/Cliff Schiappa, File)

TAUNTON – The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe was hoping for a vote of confidence from city residents as it pushed forward with plans to develop a $500 million resort casino.

If approved, Saturday’s referendum in Taunton – while nonbinding – would mark the first time local residents have expressed support for a casino project at the ballot box since Gov. Deval Patrick signed the state’s new gambling law last year.

Proponents of the casino say it would provide a shot in the arm to a once-prosperous, blue-collar mill city that has struggled to replace manufacturing jobs lost in recent decades.

But opponents worry the project would bring traffic headaches and increased crime, and contend that backers have overstated the economic benefits of casino gambling.

“Every concern that was out there we have answers and solutions and we are moving forward very successfully,” said Tribal Council chairman Cedric Cromwell, who described himself as excited and confident about the vote.

The tribe has an option to buy 146 acres in an industrial park at the junction of Routes 24 and 140, where it has proposed a 150,000-square-foot casino. The complex would eventually include three hotels, retail shops, conference space and a water park.

Under a host community agreement negotiated with Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. and approved 6-1 by the City Council, the tribe would make about $33 million in upfront payments to Taunton, including about $15 for traffic improvements. The deal also calls for minimum annual payments of $13 million after the casino begins operations.

“This is a good deal for the city because of the jobs and the money coming into the town,” said Terry Quinn, head of Together for Taunton, a pro-casino group largely funded by the tribe.

Quinn, a business owner and lifelong resident of Taunton, said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the referendum.

Tony LaCourse, who chairs the anti-casino group Preserve Taunton’s Future, said the organization has been trying to rebut what he terms “half-truths” offered by project supporters.

“People just don’t know what they are voting on,” said LaCourse.

One major concern of opponents, he said, was the location of the proposed casino in the East Taunton neighborhood, close to three schools and sensitive environmental areas.

Casino proponents in the city of about 55,000 residents have heavily outspent the opposition in the weeks leading up to the vote.

Together for Taunton reported campaign expenditures of $300,000 between March 16 and May 22, according to the city clerk’s office. Preserve Taunton’s Future formed in mid-May and reported spending only $730 through the end of the month.

Hoye has been a strong supporter of the project but has also indicated he would abide by the outcome of the nonbinding referendum.

Voters in the towns of Freetown and Lakeville turned thumbs down recently on a less detailed casino proposal offered by the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah.

Las Vegas casino operator Steve Wynn suspended plans to develop a resort casino in Foxborough after voters there elected two anti-casino candidates to the Board of Selectmen last month.

The state casino law that allows for up to three resort casinos gives exclusive rights to a federally recognized Indian tribe to develop a casino in southeastern Massachusetts if it can reach a compact with the state by July 31. Patrick told reporters earlier this week that he expected the negotiations to be completed by the deadline.

The tribe would also face other hurdles, including a requirement that the Taunton land be placed in federal trust.

Councilors say there's no money to pay for the sewer discount.

Donald Cykowski

EASTHAMPTON – City Councilor Donald L. Cykowski said he’ll bring his request for a summer sewer discount to himself even without council backing.

The councilor proposed asking for a discount on sewer charges over the summer months. In his informal request, he wrote that “a lot of water is used during the summer for gardens, lawns etc.” The city measures water consumption and then assesses charges for both water and sewer based on the amount of water used.

“The council passes a lot of expenses on to the citizens. It might be nice to show our concern to the residents on this issue,” he wrote.

Councilor Daniel D. Rist, chairman of the Rules and Government Regulations Subcommittee, said there was no support for the request on the committee because Cykowski did not provide documentation on how to pay for it.

And he said that if a discount was provided it would mean layoffs. Or he said, “They would have to raise rates in the fall.”

He suggested that the council dismiss the request without prejudice, which means that Cykowski could bring it back if he provided more information. Cykowski said he would bring it to the public works board himself.

“If you want to do these things, there’s always a reason we can’t do it,” he said. He said the city could do it for almost nothing. “It will be a little bit, not much,” he said.

“We’re here to help people. I thought it would be nice to have something. I know how the town runs. But I’m going to try.”

“I was thinking there was some legs to the proposal,” said Councilor Chester A. Ogulewicz, Jr.

Public works officials were unavailable to comment.

City water rates are $2.25 per 100 cubic feet and $3.80 for sewer.

The average sewer cost is about $490 per year, with water less than $300. Northampton residents, meanwhile pay $4.95 for water and $5.30 for sewer.
Amherst residents pay $3.30 and $3.35 respectively.

Two weeks ago, Roberto Medina’s sister died on the operating table while undergoing surgery to give him one of her kidneys.

NEW YORK – Two weeks ago, Roberto Medina’s sister died on the operating table while undergoing surgery to give him one of her kidneys.

Now, the ailing New York City man is leaving the hospital angry again.

Medina told reporters he was summoned to Montefiore Medical Center Wednesday and told that a new kidney had been found to replace the one lost when his sister, Yolanda, died.

Normally, people wait years for a transplant, but Medina says doctors told him he was being rushed to the top of a waiting list out of sympathy.

But on Friday he was discharged with bad news: The agency that oversees transplants doesn’t allow people to skip to the head of the line unless it is a medical emergency.

Medina called himself “emotionally drowned.”

Children danced, musicians sang, volunteers removed tree debris and a community continued to find meaning a year after the deadly June 1, 2011, tornado at Saturday’s Brimfield picnic on the common to celebrate the town’s rebuilding efforts.

Jim Russell photoMusician Renee Coro, owner of Harmonious Happenings in Stafford Springs, Conn., encourages children to dance during a picnic held on the Brimfield common to celebrate the rebuilding in town following the June 1, 2011, tornadoes.

BRIMFIELD – Children danced, musicians sang, volunteers removed tree debris and a community continued to find meaning a year after the deadly June 1, 2011, tornado during Saturday’s picnic on the common to celebrate the town’s rebuilding efforts.

Free hot dogs and hamburgers were the main course, prepared by Brimfield Fire Department. Many brought baked goods for dessert, from home-made lemon squares to traditional chocolate cup cakes with icing.

“We are celebrating the rebuilding of our community,” Brimfield firefighter Bonnie Francis said while roasting hot dogs on a large grill.

“In a time of crisis, we bond together; nothing is going to keep us down,” she said.

For the past year, members of the Faith Community Church, of Hopkinton, have traveled to Brimfield to volunteer with the cleanup.

More than a dozen parishioners, who had been clearing trees and brush since 8 a.m. along Hollow Road and Haynes Hill Road joined the picnic.

“The cupcakes are to die for,” said Dennis Liberatore, of Worcester. “We came to help out chipping wood.”

Church elder Lee Strout, 74, has been organizing the volunteer mission to Brimfield the past year.

“Part of our life is to help, it’s a way of showing God’s love,” he said.

In Brimfield a tornado traveling in the area of Route 20 killed one person and ravaged huge sections of town, destroying 42 homes. A smaller tornado touched down off Warren Road.

“The recovery is going well, we’re getting there, but we still have people that have not gotten insurance checks,” said Gina Lynch, one of the picnic organizers.

“Recovery is going to take a lifetime,” she said. “It is never going to be the same.”

Lynch has directed Brimfield’s disaster relief center. She is the town’s Senior Center director as well. Both are located at the First Congregational Church.

Among the musicians that performed all afternoon was music therapist Renee Coro, owner of Harmonious Happenings in Stafford Springs, Conn. She encouraged to children to dance.

Forest Park Middle School and Putnam Vocational Technical Academy were the last two school projects in Massachusetts approved for 90 percent state reimbursement of costs.

View full sizeThis is an artist's rendering of the Forest Park Middle School addition that includes a 10,000-square-foot gymnasium. Consigli Construction Co.'s Hartford office has begun construction at the historic Springfield school.

SPRINGFIELD – A $43.4 million renovation-expansion project officially began last week at the Forest Park Middle School, designed to modernize a long-outdated, deteriorated building while preserving much of its history, officials said.

The contractor, Consigli Construction Co. Inc., in Hartford, launched the renovations following preliminary work that included environmental cleanup.

The new construction, which includes extensive renovations and a building addition, is scheduled for completion in August 2013, to serve 700 students.

Rita L. Coppola-Wallace, the city’s director of capital asset construction, said it is exciting to see the project move forward after years of planning.

“The exciting part of the project is that these improvements will be made while keeping the historical integrity of the building intact,” Coppola-Wallace said.

Renovation projects are always challenging, but Coppola-Wallace said she is confident the end result will be a building that “not only serves the educational needs of the students in a far better manner but will also be aesthetically pleasing to the neighborhood.”

“We are proud to have our team of local historic building experts, specializing in masonry restoration, millwork and historic envelopes, working to restore this important building,” said Michael Walker, area manager for Consigli.

Forest Park and Putnam Vocational Technical Academy were the last two school projects in Massachusetts approved for 90 percent state reimbursement of costs.

The construction includes a new 10,000-square-foot gymnasium and a new entrance that will eliminate the need for a wood ramp, officials said.

The project involves 141,000 square feet of renovations, upgrades, and restoration including: new mechanical, electrical, technology, plumbing, and fire suppression systems; the addition of elevators for improved handicap accessibility; the renovation of existing classrooms and complete interior renovation; the replacement of all windows, roof and boiler plant, according to Consigli.

The school, originally built in 1898, with expansions in 1919 and 1936, will have 24 classrooms, six science labs, six special education rooms and four resource rooms.

Some of the steps being taken to preserve the historical features of the school include: reusing the original wood trim whenever possible; saving and refinishing the existing wood flooring in the auditorium; and restoring built-in wood casework in the classrooms, according to Consigli.

In addition, new wood flooring will be installed in classrooms instead of typical vinyl flooring to help preserve the historic character of the building, officials said.

The existing terrazzo flooring in the hallways will be restored to its original luster, and replacement windows in the existing buildings will be reflective of the school’s historic features, officials said.

The air quality in the building will improve and there will be improved energy efficiency throughout the school Coppola-Wallace said.

Perkins Eastman of Boston is the lead architectural firm, and Reinhardt Associates of Agawam is the associate architect.

Selection of an architect for the new center is expected shortly.

WESTFIELD – Friends of the Westfield Senior Center plans to launch shortly a capital campaign in its effort to help raise $500,000 for amenities for a proposed new $6 million Westfield Senior Center.

That capital project which will target banks, businesses and the general public, will serve as the primary fund raising activity for the new Senior Center project.

The friends group, which formed last year as a fund-raising arm, held its first annual meeting earlier this week and agreed to continue to plan smaller, more sociable activities and to continue its membership drive. Membership now stands at 104 seniors.

The group’s officers reiterated the mission of the organization is to help enhance programs, services and needs of the Senior Center. The financial goal is to finance furniture and equipment for the next center.

President Thomas Humphrey said the group formed to raise funds for “enhancements of the new center that would not otherwise be an option for the future new home for seniors.”

Treasurer William K. Tatro said two events, along with donations and memberships, during the past year have provided a treasury balance of $5,283 towards the goal.

He and membership chairman Susan M. Szenda said additional social events will also be scheduled through the year including a pancake breakfast, spaghetti supper, senior picnic and a winter social.

Council on Aging director Tina Gorman reported the new center remains on track with the naming of an architect expected later this month.

Three architects, Reinhart Associates of Agawam, Catlin Architecture of Qunicy and Dietz & Company Architect of Springfield are being considered.

The architect will then work with the city Senior Center project manager Diversified Project Management Inc. of Newton in design and construction.

Mayor Daniel M. Knapik announced the site for the new center on Noble Street more than a year ago. But, the city must file a request with Hampden County Probate Court to allow construction of a center on the property.

The property was left to the Westfield Housing Authority by the late Mary Noble with a stipulation that its use be restricted to senior citizens.

There was an active fire in the fire pit at the time of the call.

Julian Feller-Cohen photo03.09.11 | Photo by Julian Feller-Cohen – The Northampton Fire Department's patch.

NORTHAMPTON – Police and fire officials are investigating an outside fire at 41 Marshall St. Saturday afternoon that left a 51-year-old woman with severe burns over a large portion of her body.

Deputy Fire Chief Stephen F. Vanasse said someone at the home called 911 just after 3:30 p.m. Vanasse said they are still investigating how the woman was burned. She was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield for treatment. Her condition is not known, he said.

Vanasse said there was an active fire in a fire pit in the backyard when the incident happened.

The bears will remain on display through Sept. 12.

EASTHAMPTON – The city is visited so often by wild bears that when Easthampton City Arts+ was looking for something to build a festival around, they were the natural choice.

“We took it on as a fun mascot,” Denise M. Riggs, Easthampton City Arts+ co-chair, explained on Saturday, at the kickoff of Bear Fest 2012, featuring nearly 100 decorated bears throughout downtown.

Some were large. Some were small. All were unique.

“Bears are cute . . . they’re something the kids relate to,” said Bear Fest volunteer Patricia Z. Coon.

“Luminous bear” was made of broken glass mirrors, “BEAR4ALL2C” blended in with a rooftop so passers-by had to use binoculars to spot him, and “Viva Easthampton!” looked like Elvis, that is, if he were a bear.

Fifty-two small tabletop bears were created by students in Easthampton, Southampton and Westhampton. They peeked out at visitors from store windows.

Bears will remain on display through Sept. 12.

C.J. Shelkey, 13, of Haydenville, said he liked going on the “bear hunt” to find the bears.

“I think it’s the best thing in this town that has ever really happened,” C.J. said. “I really enjoy it, and so does my grandma.”

His grandmother, Marguerite Roberts, said the Bear Fest is fun.

“I just love them all. The amount of work that’s put into them, the creativity,” Roberts said.

C.J. said his favorite was the “Luminous bear” made by Crystal Popko, of Ludlow, which shimmered like a disco ball, but he also liked “BEAR4ALL2C” by artist Rhys Davies.

“BEAR4ALL2C” also was a hit with 5-year-old Kailyn Cabrini, of Holyoke.

“That thing is so cool. It so blends in!” she told her parents and younger brother Colby, 2.

“They love this, and they’re only on bear number two,” said Kailyn’s mother, Kristin Cabrini.

“Steel Clad Bear,” in front of the Manchester True Value store, was created by Matt Evald Johnson, of Easthampton. True to its name, it was made of scrap steel that he welded together. All artists were given the same mold, either small or large. Many of the artists were with their bears, so they could answer questions.

“This is a little bit different from the other bears. It’s 100 percent sculpture,” he said.

Carol Ostberg, of Florence, had her “Pieces and Patches” bear, a colorful bear with a mix of patterns, by PufferSign.

“This is a great event and a lot of people work very hard to put it on,” Ostberg said.

Thomas W. Brown, senior vice president at Easthampton Savings Bank, the lead sponsor of the event, said people were out as early as 6 a.m. to see the bears. Brown said the bears made their street debut at 4 a.m.

Brown got into the spirit of the fest – he took advantage of the face painting and had a red bear print painted on his cheek.

The fest was “a huge success” when it was done in 2009, and Brown expects this year’s event to be even bigger.

Eric A. Snyder, executive director of the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, said the fest was expected to bring “thousands of visitors” to the city. Marcia K. Morrison, an Easthampton City Arts+ coordinating committee member, said the traffic from the event helps local businesses.

Said Riggs, “It brings attention to the artists in Easthampton and Easthampton as a cultural destination.”

Granby artist Gary Hallgren made his bear look like a clown. Artist Ruth Sanderson painted her bear in a pink paisley pattern.

“That’s one of the more unique ideas,” John C. Vaught, of Easthampton, told Sanderson.

Sanderson’s paisley bear got a thumbs up from Vaught’s 11-year-old cousin, Natalie Wilkinson, from Illinois.

Sanderson said she thought the mold looked like a stuffed animal, so she created a bear to look like one. Little girls had been posing for photographs with it all day, and that was her intent – to make people smile.

Kim Wilson, of Easthampton, brought her 4-year-old son, Gabriel, to Bear Fest.

“We are enjoying ourselves. I think it’s good. It gets people out and in the neighborhood, and gives us something to do,” she said.

The purpose of Bear Fest is to raise money for the arts and arts education, Riggs said. Visit EasthamptonBearFest.com to bid for a bear in the online auction; bidding starts in July.

Mayor Michael Tautznik, and state Rep. John W. Scibak, D-South Hadley, spoke at the event’s start.

Jones was a well-known community activist.

SPRINGFIELD – Former Springfield City Councilor Morris “Mo” Jones died Saturday morning, according to a report on the WWLP channel 22 website.

Jones, a community activist, was 77. Jones served four terms on the city council during the 1980s and 1990s. He also was a retired Post Office supervisor.

A spokesman for Henderson Funeral home told 22News funeral arrangements are not yet complete at this time.

Jones lobbied for the reopening of the Mason Square Library, which was closed in 2003. It was closed and sold by the Springfield Library and Museums Association that year to the Urban League of Springfield to the surprise and anger of many residents.

Last year’s reopening was made possible by a sustained lobbying effort by the neighborhood and its supporters, and a contribution of approximately $1.5 million from the Springfield Library Foundation to purchase, renovate and furnish the building, officials have said.

At the time, Jones told the newspaper that the library “will serve as a lighthouse and a beacon for the Mason Square community.”

“I am glad and honored to be part of the team,” Jones said in a statement. “The most important thing is we should never let a major facility such as a library go without a community public hearing.”